The Moving Pavilion

"It'll be a fabulous thing, you will love it darling. It's just what the garden needs." Alvin Terry was now bringing his work home. He had been designing other people's gardens for fifteen years. At thirty seven, he was much younger than the man he lived with, seventy year old Rendle. Rendle was retired, but he had had much success in television. He had directed all those adverts about pension plans. "Do we really need something so different Alvin ?."
"I think so Rendle, you can lie on a day bed in the glass pavilion, and feel it gliding from the house to the bottom of the garden, where the pool and waterfall are. It should be marvellous for entertaining. I can bring some of my designer friends, you know, Lucien and Damon, those two Australian boys; they would love it. Lucien specializes in mechanical things - he can see to all the electrics as well."
"How will it look ?."
"Well, Rendle, it'll be a bit like a glass box with sliding doors at the front and back, so you can get in one side and get out the other. It'll be the full width of the garden, and run on a track almost the full length of the garden. I might even put water spouts at the centre of the garden which immediately stop flowing when the pavilion passes over them. It will have sensors too, which will stop it from moving if a person or animal is in the way. It will all be very sophisticated."
"You are persuading me Alvin. What is money for, if we can't enjoy it together. It will only be a small proportion of my investment money, which I can release. But the rest I must preserve Alvin until I die. I don't want you ever to be in need."
"Oh, Rendle, you are adorable. I could never leave you."

* * *

A few days later, the tracks were being laid along the length of the spacious back garden for the very hi-tech and 'nouveau' moving pavilion. It was quite a project. Lucien, a very attractive twenty five year old, and graduate of Sydney university, knew all about the more progressive and adventurous type of project. He was a man to be relied on. He would not make a mistake, unless of course, he had to. Alvin bundled Rendle off to a meeting in town of retired directors, and then considered the lean, muscular body of Lucien, striking quite a pose at the moment in the garden.
His slightly long, black hair, fell over his face, and his steely, blue eyes twinkled and shone. Alvin and Lucien seemed to get on well, but did not want to look too friendly to the other workmen; it wouldn't be right. "You will get all the electrics right, won't you Lucien," Alvin said in earshot of everybody there, "we don't want any accidents."
"Of course Alvin, leave it all to me. It's as safe as houses."

* * *

Three weeks later the project was nearing completion. The water spouts were working well, and cutting out when the pavilion moved over them: all that needed to be done now was the installation of the blue strobe lighting, both in the pavilion and outside of it. Some lights were to be strung from the trees. There was a lovely Robinia to the side of the garden, and an acer too. Dwarf grasses interspersed with round paving slabs, were juxtaposed with the fountain jets in the central part of the garden. Because of the nature of the project, the garden was very flat; it had to be, for this large pavilion to move over the terrain. When Rendle saw how it was shaping up, his only regret was the flatness of everything, but as for the pavilion itself, he was delighted. Soon he would take delivery of a day bed, and he had selected pink silk covers to drape over it, complete with heart-shaped and tassellated cushions.

* * *

Lucien had complained of not feeling well on the day of the final tweaking of the electrics of his system. It seemed Alvin too was preoccupied. It only remained for it to be tried and tested by its proud owner, Rendle.
"I want to get this over with", Alvin uttered to Lucien.
"Look, I think if you are seen to operate it first, it will be a lot more convincing. I will give it a professional touch later for Rendle."
"Oh, do you think so."
"Yes."
"OK then."
Alvin stepped inside the glass pavilion, put his finger on the button to start the thing moving, and began to glide over the garden. The pavilion came to pass over the jets of water, but instead of them cutting out, the water still flowed. There was an electric flash like lightning. The pavilion was live. Alvin fell to the floor and the moving pavilion juddered to a halt. Something had gone badly wrong. Rendle ambled out of the french doors at the rear of the property, shocked and horrified.

* * *

One week later, taking tea by the waterfall in the garden, Lucien plucked a Virginia Creeper floret, and then with Rendle by his side, looked deep into a burgeoning weigela. They considered the recent tragedy. Lucien had always liked older men. Alvin, he could do without.